Columbia Gorge – a lesser known but equally stunning, both visually and oenographically region.

So why is this important? Well because we get the bets of both worlds! Both urban life and wine country.

Do you want to help support wine bloggers in getting to Portland next year? Here’s why you should consider donating to the WBC Scholarship Fund:

The Wine Bloggers Conference Scholarship was founded in 2009 to provide well established “citizen bloggers” with a stipend so they can attend the conference, further their knowledge, their network, the wine blogging community and the wine industry as a whole. As, unfortunately, not all who wish to attend can afford the costs associated with the conference, the scholarship was established to assist in this effort.

Citizen Blogger” scholarship recipients are bloggers who are not affiliated with a winery or other company in the wine industry with a demonstrated financial need. Specific attention is paid to bloggers who post regularly, have never attended the conference before and who might be students with a particular focus in wine.

The weekend of August 17-19, 2012 hundreds of wine bloggers, new media leaders, and wine industry members will gather in Portland, Oregon for the fifth annual North American Wine Bloggers Conference (WBC) the premier conference for new media and the wine industry. This three-day symposium builds on our past successes and brings attendees a unique opportunity to learn about and discuss the intersection of wine with the world of new media including blogging, social media, and more.

Applicants are asked to describe their blog, their financial need pertaining to the conference, and why they are deserving of sponsorship. Stipends are awarded through a committee selection process based on the above mentioned focus criteria.

Funds are generated by donations from participating wineries and other industry entities as well as generous individuals. In 2011, the scholarship fund assisted 14 wine bloggers from the USA and Europe to attend the Wine Bloggers Conference in Charlottesville, VA. With an average personal donation of $100, and corporate sponsorship of $300, the scholarship fund raised over $8500. 100% of the funds supported the scholarships and bloggers received an average of $800 to attend the conference including registration, travel costs and accommodations.

Thanks to a partnership with Enobytes, the Wine Bloggers Conference Scholarship Fund is accepting donations as a 501(c) non profit organization. This means, that you can donate to the scholarship fund TAX FREE (subject to your tax professional’s advice of course). Donations are accepted via our donor page personal or corporate check (please let us know if you prefer this option as there are some specific rules for the 501c).

What we need:
We are looking for donations, of any size, that will go in to a fund to be awarded to bloggers based on need, length of blogging history, and written statements of why they qualify for assistance and wish to attend.

We give preference to established citizen bloggers, students in wine (MBA, BA, enology), and bloggers who have never attended a Wine Bloggers Conference before.

We ask that corporate sponsors donate a minimum of $95, which covers the registration fee for a citizen blogger (though we gratefully accept ANY donation, large or small!).

What you get in return:
Premier Sponsors (donations of $1,000+) will receive free advertising on both Enobyes (banner ads) and my personal blog, as well as the WBC Scholarship site. These are to be formatted and scheduled dates will be chosen at the agreement of both parties.

You will also receive a write up on the WBC Scholarship Fund blog outlining your business and why you believe in bloggers and the conference.

In addition, we ask each winner to write a post stating what the WBC meant to them, what they learned, and personally thanking each donor.

In 2012, for the first time, we will be hosting a Sponsor table, where the WBC Scholarship Committee and former recipients will be available to answer questions, pour your wine or share your business information, and interact with the attendees. This is a fantastic opportunity for you to present your company to over 300 industry & blogger attendees during the “Meet the Sponsors” event.

If you attend the WBC, you will also get a flashy new “Corporate Sponsor” ribbon for your badge that identifies you to our attendees as someone who supports bloggers. Each recipient will also have a badge identifying them, and they will be seeking out sponsors and individual donors for personal introductions.